On Wednesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that argued they should be compensated by the city. The ruling marked a significant setback for advocates seeking financial reparations for one of the deadliest attacks against Black people in U.S. history. The massacre left up to 300 Black people dead and devastated a prosperous district known as Black Wall Street.

The court upheld a previous decision by a district court judge in Tulsa, stating that the plaintiffs’ grievances about the destruction of the Greenwood district did not fall within the state’s public nuisance statute, The Associated Press reports. 

The court wrote, “Plaintiffs do not point to any physical injury to property in Greenwood rendering it uninhabitable that could be resolved by way of injunction or other civil remedy. Today, we hold that relief is not possible under any set of facts that could be established to be consistent with the plaintiff’s allegations.”

The city of Tulsa said it “respects the court’s decision and affirms the significance of the work the City continues to do in the North Tulsa and Greenwood communities,” adding that it remains committed “to working with residents and providing resources to support” the communities.

The lawsuit sought to compel the city of Tulsa and others to compensate for the destruction of the Black district by a white mob on May 31 and June 1, 1921. Survivors Lessie Benningfield Randle and Viola Fletcher, both over 100 years old, sued in 2020, hoping to achieve “justice in their lifetime.” A third plaintiff, Hughes Van Ellis, Fletcher’s brother, died last year at age 102. The court found that the plaintiffs’ claims did not sufficiently support a case for unjust enrichment, typically applicable to contractual relationships.

Other defendants included the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Tulsa County Commissioners, the Tulsa County Sheriff, and the Oklahoma Military Department. The lawsuit, filed under Oklahoma’s public nuisance law, argued that the massacre’s aftermath still affects the city today, perpetuating racial and economic disparities. The plaintiffs sought a detailed accounting of the losses, the construction of a hospital in North Tulsa, and the creation of a compensation fund.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed the 2025 fiscal year budget today, June 12.

The overall budget authorizes $12.47 billion in state spending for the fiscal year.

“This was the most transparent budget process in state history, and that is something to be proud of,” Stitt said. “Every Oklahoman had the opportunity to have a front row seat to the negotiations that took place and to see how their tax dollars were spent. The state has taken a step forward today, but our work is unfinished. I will continue to fight for more tax cuts and keeping a lid on the growth in government in Oklahoma.”

Many have called this year’s budget process the most transparent in state history.

“As Speaker McCall and Pro Tem Treat wrap up their final year in office, I want to commend them on their efforts to leave a legacy of transparency,” Stitt said. “I look forward to working with their successors and expanding on those relationships and the progress made this year.”

During negotiations, members of the Democratic Party continued a call for a more bipartisan approach. They also claimed this year’s budget does not do enough to meet the needs of Oklahomans.

“A flat budget does not create solutions to the growing challenges we face,” Sen. Kay Floyd said. “A bipartisan budget would have provided more funding for our schools, health and mental health care, and other critical services, putting people over politics.”

Copyright 2024 KSWO. All rights reserved.

Oklahoma State has been one of the best programs in college football, but a playoff spot has eluded the Cowboys.

Since the College Football Playoff was introduced in the 2014 season, OSU has come close but has never made the top four of the final rankings. As the CFP expands to 12 teams next season, the chance of making a playoff spot has never been higher for the Cowboys.

Although OSU has been on the outside looking in, the past decade has seen some of the best teams in school history. Although some of those teams were left out of a four-team playoff, some would have had no issues making a 12-team field.

Recent OSU teams that would have made a 12-team playoff:

Perhaps the closest any OSU team has been to the College Football Playoff, OSU was No. 5 going into the Big 12 Championship and a win might have pushed the Cowboys into the top four. However, Dezmon Jackson’s dive for the goal line left the Cowboys inches away from glory and resulted in a trip to the Fiesta Bowl, where they beat No. 5 Notre Dame.

As one of the best defenses in the country, Jim Knowles’ group helped the Cowboys have one of their best seasons in the Mike Gundy era. Meanwhile, Spencer Sanders and Jaylen Warren headlined a diverse OSU offense.

In a hypothetical 12-team playoff, OSU would have traveled to Ole Miss for a first-round matchup.

READ MORE: OSU Football: Does the Big 12 Need Divisions Again?

After a tumultuous start to the season that included a loss to Central Michigan, OSU went on a seven-game winning streak heading into Bedlam. Although OSU lost in the de facto Big 12 Championship, it still managed a 10-win season with an Alamo Bowl victory against Colorado.

Mason Rudolph, James Washington and Justice Hill led the Cowboys’ electric offense throughout the season. In a 12-team field, OSU would have been the last team in and traveled to play Ohio State in the first round.

Although some teams were playoff-caliber in 2015 and 2017, injuries and disappointing losses also derailed the Cowboys’ hopes of making a 12-team playoff. But in 2024, OSU will have its best opportunity yet to flip the script and make it to the biggest stage of the college football postseason.

READ MORE: On This Date: OSU Baseball Clinches Trip to 2016 College World Series

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